The villas and their environment
This volume reports the findings of a Canadian archaeological team under the direction of the authors at San Giovanni di Ruoti in the highlands of southern Italy. The excavations, which took place over a seven-year period, have revealed a series of three Roman villas which span the period from the beginning of the first century AD to the middle of the sixth century. Of these villas, the third is particularly important since it provides the best evidence to date for the development of a villa in the transitional period between the end of the Roman Empire in the West and the beginning of the Middle Ages. The core of this volume is an architectural study of the building in its stratigraphic context, with artifacts selected to establish the chronology of the building sequence. Preliminary chapters deal with the geographical and historical background, and with the relation of this villa to other Roman villas in Lucania and to other settlements in the vicinity. The development of the building in each period is illustrated with architectural plans and reconstructions. The building materials are described and analysed, and the mosaics found in the villa of the latest period are fully illustrated. The stratigraphic evidence is presented in a final chapter with thirty-four section drawings. Further volumes are planned with detailed analyses of the artifacts and of the faunal and botanical remains, and a final summing up of the significance of the site
eBook, English, ©1994
University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Ont., ©1994
Phoenix, 33, v. 1
1 online resource (442 pages) : illustrations, maps
9781442681217, 9780802027900, 1442681217, 0802027903
244767022
CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PREFACE
ABBREVIATIONS
1. General Observations
2. The Physical Environment
A. Location and General Regional Character
B. Regional and Local Climates
C. Site and Situation
D. Topographic and Hydrographic Characteristics
E. Regional and Site Geology
F. Geomorphology
1. Morphology of the valley of the Fiumara di Avigliano
2. Morphology and soils of the San Giovanni site
G. Forest Vegetation Cover in the San Giovanni Region
3. The Field Survey ""A. The Period Immediately Preceding the Foundation of the Villa""""B. Period 1, The First Part (ca. AD 1�70)""; ""C. Period 1, The Second Part (ca. AD 70�220)""; ""D. The Period of Abandonment (ca. AD 220�350)""; ""E. Period 2 (ca. AD 350�400)""; ""F. Period 3 (ca. AD 400�550)""; ""4. The Historical Background""; ""A. Political Background""; ""1. Early Lucania""; ""2. The administration of Lucania under the Roman Empire""; ""3. The end of Roman Lucania""; ""B. Settlement around San Giovanni in Pre-Roman and Roman Times""; ""C. Landowners in Roman Lucania""; ""D. Rural Economy"" 1. Forest2. Cereals, legumes, and fruit trees
3. Stock farming
4. Industry and commerce
5. Markets and roads
5. Villa Building in Roman Lucania
6. The Excavations: Period 1
A. General Introduction
B. Materials Earlier than the Villas
C. Period 1
1. Preliminary structures
2. Masonry and building techniques of Period 1
3. The building plan
4. The mill
5. Other structures
6. Pottery
7. Lamps
8. Glass
9. Small finds
10. Coins
11. Reconstruction
12. Chronology
13. The end of the period 7. The Excavations: Period 2A. Period 2A
1. Masonry and building techniques
2. The buildings
3. Pottery
B. Period 2B
1. Masonry and building techniques
2. The buildings
3. Pottery
C. Period 2C
1. Masonry and building techniques
2. The buildings
3. Pottery
4. Lamps
5. Glass
6. Small finds
7. Coins
8. Reconstruction
9. Chronology
8. The Excavations: Period 3A
A. Introduction
B. Period 3A
1. Masonry and building techniques
2. The buildings 3. Alterations and additions to the bath suite4. The water supply
5. The dolium yard
6. The middens
7. Pottery
8. Lamps
9. Glass
10. Small finds
11. Coin
12. Reconstruction
13. Chronology
9. The Excavations: Period 3B
A. Introduction
B. Period 3B
1. The villa structures
2. Masonry and building techniques
3. The buildings
4. The middens
5. Pottery
6. Lamps
7. Glass
8. Small finds
9. Coins
10. The mosaics
11. Reconstruction
12. Chronology
C. The End of the Villa